The Forest
by Bernard Q Roberts
Summary: The Forest before Iron Town... Contains langauge and description of nudity.


Wow, my first COMPLETE fan fiction. Uncork the champagne. Anyway, I mainly wanted to write this because I thought the relationship between San and Moro needed more attention. Gillian Anderson did a superb job with the translation of Moro, and I'm sure the Drag Queen that did it in Japan did a good job too, so I don't want an opportunity to character build go to waste. So, yeah...

-The Vermillion Thing

1. The Forest

Before the settlement of Tataraba, the forest of the Shishi-Gami thrived. The forest was ruled by Lord Nago the Boar, and Lady Moro the she-wolf, who took over for her mate after he was slain by the Samurai, greedy for iron. They defended the forest and governed the Kodama and lower beings with benevolence and wisdom.

One merely had to hear or see Lady Moro to know she was a goddess. She was larger than any of the other wolves of the country. Her beautiful, snow-white coat was coveted by every hunter in the region. Her voice was like the roar of distant thunder: a gentle peacefulness, with the threat of force. She bore her mate two cubs, who each ruled an area of the forest. Angry at the humans for the death of their father, they ruthlessly murdered any who entered, even children. Lady Moro showed some concern over this matter, yet she still remained indifferent towards man. She instructed all the hunters only to strike men who openly abused the resources of the forest. Every creature was to defend their area and theirs alone; the apes were to protect the trees, the mice protected the grass, etc. The wolves were the only exception; they could defend any area of the forest from the humans, so long as they did not eat of their flesh.

2. A Child.

While her Ladyship was taking a walk in the edge of the forest, she saw a young couple of humans. They had carved a hole in a live tree, larger than they needed. They filled their faces with the fruit of the bushes. They created a fire and recklessly burned the brush. Moro was infuriated with their foolish conduct. She yelled to them and bore her teeth. The woman shook with fear. "O mighty Lady of the forest, we apologize for the abuse of thy kingdom! We offer a sacrifice to thee!" She then threw her baby, whom she was nursing, at the wolf-goddess's feet and ran for her life. The man, a samurai, drew his sword, but soon turned to flee as well. Moro looked at the child. "She's so pale and thin. They have been starving her. Their greed sickens me." She addressed the babe. "If you were any larger, I would bite your neck open. But you are weak. I would be a murderer. I have always wanted a daughter. Now it seems the Forest Spirit has granted that wish." She lovingly scooped up the babe her to her den.

Moro named the girl San, and raised her as a wolf. She taught her to hunt, and even gave her a region to govern. Nago feared this would encourage other humans to settle in the forest, but as he was an herbivore, he kept quiet. San grew to be a beautiful young woman, yet she did not have fur as a wolf did. She wandered naked through the forest. Moro soon realized this would draw young men, full of impure thoughts, into the forest. The apes created a blue tunic of thread they stole from humans for the princess. She wore with this a coat made of the hair of her "brothers".

3. The village.

Eventually, the humans exhausted the iron of the beach, and craved the rich veins of the hill. A settlement was formed on a plateau, and was named Tataraba, or Iron-Town. The men began to work their way into the forest. But Nago drove them back and slaughtered many of them. The emperor learned of the failure to mine there, and sent Lady Eboshi.

4. The Lady

Lady Eboshi was no stranger to combat. The daughter of a general, living in constant fear of her stern governess, she would hide amongst the supply wagons on her father's expeditions. Modestly pretty, yet a tomboy at heart, she would play "war" with her brothers. She was a deadly opponent with a blade, and skilled with a gun. Her real skill, however, was strategizing. She controlled a legion in the Emperor's army, and destroyed quite a few Samurai gangs with tactics that worked like slow poisons.

Being thrifty, she assembled a rag-tag team of pick-pockets, whores, and Lepers, trained them, and put them to work in the forges and hills. Her gunmen waged a fierce battle against Nago, and pierced his flesh with a musket-ball. Fearing the end, he ran, slowly turning into a demon. As San watch the defeat of her "uncle's" people, her mind was full of questions. "Mother," asked the wolf-girl, "why do the humans seek to kill the forest?" "They do not care about the forest." answered the majestic goddess. "They only kill because it's in their way." San couldn't comprehend anyone murdering something to get past it. "But what's so important? What's in here that they want?" "Iron," said the goddess mournfully. "Cold metal, the same which pierced Nago's flesh, and turned him into a demon-monster. They wish to make weapons that allow them to kill faster, and more efficiently. That will lead to their enemies to make similar weapons. The death will not stop. The damned humans do not kill for food. Death makes them feel important." She was silent. "I hate the humans." spat San, her delicate face wrinkling in rage. "Oh, my beautiful daughter," sighed Moro. "If you only knew..." and with that, she left. That very moment, a young man cut his hair, end as well as the blood line of a once mighty dynasty.

It's probably a little hokey. What do you think?


End file.
